Arrangement for shifting the points of tramway or railway lines.



(No Model.)

Witnesses.

G. 0., R088. ARRANGEMENT FOR SHIFTING THE POINTS OF TRAMWAY 0R RAILWAY LINES.

[Appliration filed Feb. 12. 1902.]

Patented June 3, I902.

Inventor. J

Patented June 3, I902.

No. muses.

G. D. ROSS. ARRANGEMENT FOR SHIFTING THE POINTS OF TRAMWAY DR RAlLWAY LINES (Apialication filed Feb. 12. 1902.)

2 Sheets-Shee't 2.

(NoModeL) AIL Witnesses.

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE DOW ROSS, OF GLASGOWV, SCOTLAND.

ARRANGEMENT FOR SHIFTING THE POINTS OF TRAMWAY OR RAILWAY LINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,398, dated June 3, 1902.

Application filed February 12, 1902. Serial No. 93,724. (No model.)

T0 at whom it fltcty concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE Dow Ross, ongineer, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 12 Regent Park Terrace, Strathbungo, Glasgow, Scotland, have invented an Improved Arrangement for Shifting the Points of Tramway or Railway Lines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an arrangement whereby the points of tramway or electric or other railway lines can be readily shifted from the car. Various arrangements have been heretofore proposed for this purpose; but they have not so far come into general use. The great point to be aimed at in constructing an arrangement of this character is to make it simple and inexpensive and so construct its working parts that they will not readily get out of order. The arrangements heretofore used have not been generally employed owing to the fact that they have not fulfilled the above conditions. Under my invention I propose to fulfil these conditions by using an arrangement which essentially consists of a simple working plate connected with and actuating the point and which is provided with crossed grooves so arranged that a point shifter on the car when depressed so as 'to enter one or other of the grooves shifts the point to the proper position.

The arrangement may be constructed in various ways, and on the drawings annexed I have shown at Figures 1 to 3 one arrangement wherein the working plate is supported on a rocking arm, and at Fig. 4: an arrangement wherein the plate moves on rollers, and at Fig. 5 an arrangement wherein the plate slides on rods.

Fig. 1 shows the device in longitudinal section, the ground being indicated by the dotted section-lines. Fig 2 shows itin plan and with the cover removed. Fig. 3 shows it in cross-section. Fig. 4 is a cross-section show ing the plate working on rollers. Fig. 5is a cross-section showing the plate sliding on rods.

at b are the ordinary tramway-rails.

c is the point to be shifted.

cl represents part of the platform of a tramcar.

f is the point-shifter.

g is the working plate. The working plate consists of a fiat metal plate which is made with grooves 7L 2', which cross its upper surface at an angle, as shown clearly at Fig. 2. Between the grooves are guide-points j is, the pointj being rounded off slightly atits outer end, so as to facilitate the entry of the pointshifter of the car. The plate is made one with or connected to an arm l, which is free to rock from side to side upon the bolt m, which is passed through its sleeve 7L. The bolt "m is securely fitted in a cast-iron or other box 0, sunk. into the ground midway between the rails a b. As shown, this box is preferably made broad and flat at the top, with a deep central part which is made narrow and tapering toward the bottom, where it is pro vided with a drain-opening 19, so that water entering the box may drain away.

q q r r are stops made on the box for the purpose of limiting the movement of the working plate. A cover 8 is fitted on this box, and the cover has a guide slot or opening 25 straight across its center, as shown clearly at Fig. 1. Corresponding openings% are made in the side walls of the box.

The rocking arm Zis connected to the point by means of a connecting-rod o, jointed at one end to a lug on the arm and at the other end passed through a hole in a tongue depending from the point and secured by nuts. This connecting-rod works, of course, in a space or a box in the ground.

A long inclined guideway w is arranged at the entering side of the box and a short inolined guidway 00 at the exit side. These guideways are narrow and are inserted in the ground between the car-rails.

The point-shifter of the car consists of a casing 3 provided with a movable spring-rod which at its lower end has aguide shoe or knife ,2. The rod 1/ can be depressed against the action of the spring by means of a pin 3 inserted in a hole in the platform olof the car and depressed by the drivers foot. The pin 31 works in the guide-slots y of the casing, which slots are made sufliciently wide at the bottom to permit of the rod and shoe turning or twisting to a slight extent. The shoe 5 is pointed at its front end.

The arrangement is such that when the point-shifter is depressed by the driver pressing his foot upon the pin 'y the shoe 2 enters the guideway w and as the car moves forward finally enters the groove c of the working plate 9 and passing along this oblique groove from side to side forces the plate over to one side, and thereby pulls over the point a by means of the rod 1;. The car finally passes over the plate, and the shoe traverses the exit-groove m, which forces it and the pin 11 upward, and thereby indicates to the driver that the point has been shifted. When pressureis taken off the pin M, the shoe springs up again into its normal position. In a similar manner the driver of the next car which requires the point to be shifted back again into its original position depresses his pin 3 so that the shoe may enter the guide to and in this case traverse the other cross-groove h, with the result that the working plate is again moved, so as to push the point back into its former position. In this manner the cars can be switched into the proper direction by, the driver in each case simply pressing the pin 1 In the arrangement shown at Fig. 4: the box 0 is made with a raised floor 0', upon which the plate 9 runs upon three rollers g. The plate can be connected to the point- 0 bya rod, as before.

In the arrangement shown at Fig. 5 the working plate 9 simply slides on three rods 9 Only one is'shown on the drawings.

The arrangement as shown is for shifting a left-hand point; but of course it can be used for shifting a right-hand point. The only change necessaryis the fixing of the rod 12 to the opposite side of the arm Z.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the car and the point to be shifted, of a movable plate having cross-grooves on its upper surface, a rocking arm supporting the plate, a pin supporting the arm, a box containing the arm and plate, a rod connecting the arm with the point and a point-shifter fitted to the car and adapted to engage with one or other of the grooves of the plate, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the car and the point to be shifted, of a movable plate having cross-grooves on its upper surface, a rocking arm supporting the plate, a pin supporting the arm, a box containing the arm and plate, a lug on the arm, a connecting-rod jointed at one end to the lug and at the other end to a tongue on the point, and a point-shifter fitted to the car and adapted to engage with one or other of the grooves of the plate, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the car and the point to be shifted, of a movable plate having cross-grooves on its upper surface, a rocking arm supporting the plate, a pin supporting the arm, a box containing the arm and plate, said box being broad and fiat at its upper end and narrow and tapered at its lower end, a drain-hole in the bottom of the box, means for limiting the movement of the arm, means for connecting the plate to the point and a point-shifter on the car which is adapted to engage with one or other of the grooves of the plate, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with the car and the point to be shifted, of a movable plate having cross-grooves on its upper surface, a rocking arm supporting the plate, a pin supporting the arm, a box containing the arm and plate, said box being broad and fiat at its upper end and narrow and tapered at its lower end, a drain-hole in the bottom of the box, guideopenings in the sides of the box, guideways leading to and from the box, a cover for the box, a guide-slot made across the cover in the same line as the guideways, means for limiting the movement of the arm, means for connecting the plate to the point and a pointshifter on the car which is adapted to engage with one or other of the grooves of the plate, substantially as described.

Signed at Glasgow, Scotland, this 15th day of January, 1902.

GEORGE DOW ROSS. Witnesses:

H. D. FITZPATRICK, WILLIAM FLEMING. 

